East Suffolk Council

Fly-tipping

We treat the problem of fly-tipping very seriously and where possible will seek to prosecute anyone caught illegally dumping waste. To help us to respond to incidents of flytipping promptly and effectively, please do not hesitate to report an incident to us. If we don't know about it, we can't deal with it.

If you actually see someone fly-tipping, or have information that might enable us to investigate an incident of fly-tipping, please let us know as soon as possible. 

You do not have to give your details when you contact us about fly-tipping but it may help us if we need to get back to you for further information, and we keep all details provided to us confidential throughout the course of any investigation.

• How to report fly-tipping

Reducing fly-tipping in Suffolk

As part of the 'Tip-Off' campaign, the Suffolk Waste Partnership has produced a guide to reporting and tackling fly tipping in Suffolk, including 'Tripping up the Tippers', a video showing householders that they have a duty of care to ensure that their waste is disposed of legally. The video urges residents to check that anyone offering to take their waste away is legitimate and not a rogue trader looking to make easy money by fly-tipping waste.

What we do

Our Cleansing, Refuse and Environmental Services Teams work together to take preventative measures, investigate incidents, and clean up or remove illegally dumped waste.

We are responsible for removing litter and fly-tipping, or dumped rubbish, from public land. Public land includes roads, pavements, adopted passageways, council-owned car parks, parks and recreation areas, lay-bys, and so forth. There is no charge for this service.

Officers will clear incidents of fly-tipping on public land as soon as possible, with the majority of incidents being removed within 24 hours of reporting. While they are doing this, they will try to identify the source of the waste and take appropriate enforcement action where possible. We work with the Environment Agency to identify incidents that may be linked to organised and systematic breaches of waste licensing law.

Occasionally, specialist equipment may need to be hired or a large amount of evidence gathered. This can take time, so please do bear with us. Unless there is a serious imminent risk to public health or the environment, we may not be able to get such deposits removed immediately.

Officers can respond to reports of fly-tipping on private land by investigating the circumstances and trying to identify the source of the waste, where possible. However we are under no obligation to remove waste dumped on private land. The Suffolk Waste Partnership’s guide to reporting and tackling fly-tipping in Suffolk includes advice to landowners about how to protect land from fly-tipping.

Getting rid of waste

You can help reduce our impact on the environment by making maximum use of the available recycling facilities. If you have large items to dispose of, the councils offer bulky household waste collection services (for which charges apply).

Items of household waste that cannot be put into your wheeled bin can be taken to one of the Household Waste Recycling Centres run by Suffolk County Council. Some hazardous waste is not accepted at these sites, please check before visiting.

Fly-tipping and the law

The fly tipping of controlled waste is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if indicted to the Crown Court) or an offender can even be sent to prison. Fly tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles. In this case the person controlling the use of the vehicle can also be prosecuted, which means that it is possible for a prosecution to occur when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable. In addition to this, vehicles involved in fly tipping can be seized. There are also a number of other possible penalties, including fixed penalty notices of £200.